Staff Pick: 'King of the Nerds'

Thursday

Jan 17, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Time was, “nerds” were at the bottom of the social pecking order. Oh, how those times have changed.

By Rick AllenStaff writer

Time was, “nerds” were at the bottom of the social pecking order. Oh, how those times have changed.Nerds are cool. Nerds are hip. Nerds are big business. Anyone with a balky computer knows to cultivate a friendship with at least one nerd — or pay BIG repair bills.Tonight, TBS premieres its “King of the Nerds” competition, a show pitting 11 self-described nerds from across the country to see who is “the most awesome nerd in the world.” The object: To crown Nerd 1! The one-hour reality program airs 10 p.m. Thursdays for eight weeks.The nerd-a-morphosis of dork to cool began, by some reckonings, in 1984 with “Revenge of the Nerds,” a movie in which a group of socially awkward but brilliant students outsmarted and embarrassed the ruling jocks on campus.Two stars of that film — Robert Carradine (Lewis) and Curtis Armstrong (Booger) — host the TV competition based out of the Nerdvana home and its envy-inducing gaming room.Promotional materials say the contestants face challenges such as giant chess, live gaming and a dance off. One competitor is eliminated each week; the last nerd standing, male or female, gets the controller crown — and $100,000. There can be only one!I tend to think each of us has a touch of nerd in our makeup; I’m pretty sure I do, which is why I’ll be tuned in on the latest gadgetry I can get my hands on tonight to cheer them all on. Let the games begin!